The government showed the images amid widespread speculation and rumors in Venezuela about Chavez's delicate condition following his Dec. 11 cancer surgery.

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In this photo released Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, center, poses for a photo with his daughters, Maria Gabriela, left, and Rosa Virginia at an unknown location in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. Chavez remains in Havana undergoing unspecified treatments following his fourth cancer-related operation on Dec. 11. He has hasn't been seen or spoken publicly in more than two months. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

Venezuela's government showed the first photos of ailing President Hugo Chavez in more than two months on Friday, presenting images of him smiling alongside his daughters in Cuba.

Chavez is smiling broadly and looking at Thursday's issue of the Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma in the photos, which were shown on television by Chavez's son-in-law, Science Minister Jorge Arreaza.

The government released the images amid widespread speculation and rumors in Venezuela about Chavez's condition following his Dec. 11 cancer surgery. Chavez hasn't been seen or directly heard from since he left for Cuba on Dec. 10, in contrast to previous stays for medical treatment in Havana.

Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Friday that Chavez is breathing through a tracheal tube that makes it difficult for him to speak. Government opponents have been demanding more information about Chavez's condition, and have been asking why he hasn't spoken to the nation to explain his condition.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro has traveled repeatedly to Havana, and Maduro has shown on television documents signed by Chavez. On Wednesday, Maduro said that Chavez is now undergoing "extremely complex and tough" treatments, which he didn't specify.

Medical experts consulted by The Associated Press have said the government's recent account of "systemic medical treatment" could mean various types of chemotherapy or drug treatments, depending on the type of cancer.

The 58-year-old president has been undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba on-and-off since June 2011. He has had tumors removed from his pelvic region, and has also undergone prior rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Since December, the government has provided regular updates, though there have been fewer updates in recent weeks, and often with only vague descriptions of Chavez's condition.